Police dept. names Jay Drury new lieutenant

By Samantha Allen

sallen@fosters.com

fosters.com

By Samantha Allen

sallen@fosters.com

Posted Oct. 18, 2012 at 3:15 AM

By Samantha Allen

sallen@fosters.com

Posted Oct. 18, 2012 at 3:15 AM

FARMINGTON — At the Oct. 8 Board of Selectmen meeting, the Police Department announced the promotion for Jay Drury from the sergeant’s position to lieutenant. Recently-promoted Police Chief Kevin Willey explained the position of lieutenant became vacant officially at the end of August, when Willey moved from the interim chief position to official head of the department. Since then, he said he had his eye on Drury. “Dedication. Loyalty. Selflessness. These are the qualities we look for a good employee,” Willey told the small crowd of assembled friends and family, along with fellow police officers.Drury said he joined the Farmington force 12 years ago, as a patrolman, where he worked his way up the ranks to detective, then sergeant, and now lieutenant. He said before that, he owned his own business as a landscaper. After officially being pinned by Willey, and taking photos with his two sons, his wife, and his mother, Drury said he looked forward to continuing the department’s work in the area, locally, as well as with the surrounding communities. “I’m looking forward to continuing the safety of the town of Farmington, working for the citizens,” he said, “and the staff and officers of our surrounding county.”Willey described Drury as a “strategic thinker.” He said he was promoted to the role of lieutenant around the time Drury was hired by the department, and believes they both share a similar vision for the future of the law enforcement agency. “I’ve called upon him a number of times for projects, minor and major. I know he’ll always get the job done,” Willey said. “…He shares my vision of integrating us into the community. That’s extremely important.”Willey, at the time of his swearing in this past summer, said he hoped to create more outreach to the community by hosting public meetings and starting new programs to create more awareness around local issues. He said he hopes to launch some projects in the coming weeks. In spite of the promotion, though, Willey said there remains understaffing at the town’s Police Department. He submitted a budget to the selectmen, to which board member Paula Proulx said was concerned about the large amount of overtime going to police officers. She stressed that wasn’t meant to be a criticism of the department, but rather something the board should consider come budget season.Willey told the board he held a department meeting that day on cutting back, and believes toward the end of the year, as funds dwindle, overtime will be rolled back as well. Previously, Willey told Foster’s the department has about 13 positions, and several of the vacancies were due to younger officers still training at the police academy.